Jungle Quicksand Learn the science behind quicksand! email to friend
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As seen on the Ellen DeGeneres Show

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be stuck in quicksand? This fun science kit will teach you the science behind quicksand and let you feel the ooey, gooey substance for yourself! This cool science adventure allows young scientists to "trap" unsuspecting travelers and learn about quicksand's sinking secrets. Adults and children alike will spend hours wondering, "is it a liquid or a solid?" (Quick hint... it's both!) So whip up a batch of this Jungle Quicksand and get ready for hours of Non-Newtonian fun!

What's included?

- One bag of Jungle Quicksand Powder
- 1 12 pack of coloring tablets
- 2 Plastic jungle animals
- Jungle scene punch-out

How does it work?

When mixed with water, the Quicksand powder acts like a solid sometimes, and a liquid at other times. Actually, this concoction is an example of a suspension - a mixture of two substances, one of which is finely divided and dispersed in the other. In the case of the cornstarch quicksand, it's a solid dispersed in a liquid. When you punch the quicksand, you are forcing the long starch molecules closer together. The impact of this force traps the water between the starch chains to form a semi-rigid structure. When the pressure is released, the cornstarch flows again. All fluids have a property known as viscosity - the measurable thickness or resistance to flow in a fluid. Honey and ketchup are liquids that have a high resistance to flow. Water has a low viscosity. Newton said that viscosity is a function of temperature. So, if you heat honey, the viscosity is less than that of cold honey. The Jungle Quicksand and real quicksand are both examples of non-Newtonian fluids because their viscosity changes when stress or a force is applied.

What does it teach?

What is Quicksand? Quicksand is nothing more than a soupy mixture of sand and water, where the sand is literally floating on water. Scientifically speaking, quicksand is actually a substance that behaves like both a solid and a liquid at the same time. This is the interesting sensation you experienced with the cornstarch and water mixture. Quicksand is just solid ground that has been liquefied by too much water, and the term "quick" refers to how easily the sand shifts when in this solid-liquid state. Quicksand is created when water floods or saturates an area of loose sand and the sand is begins to move around. Think of quicksand as a soupy mixture of sand and water that is constantly being stirred. When the water in the sandy soil cannot escape, it creates a liquid-like soil that can no longer support any weight. If an excessive amount of water flows through the sand, it forces the sand particles apart. This separation of particles causes the ground to loosen, and any weight on the sand will begin to sink through it. The quicksand phenomenon can be caused by an uprising of water from something like flowing underground water or even an earthquake where the sand is agitated. You are likely to find quicksand around riverbanks, lake shorelines, marshes, beaches, near underground springs or any place where an uprising of water over saturates and agitates the sand. The next time you are standing barefoot on the beach, think about the properties of quicksand. Normally, the grains of wet sand are compressed together tightly and this firm ground easily supports your weight. The friction between grains of wet sand is strong enough to make it easy to build sand castles. However, when the sand on the beach is flooded with an excess amount of water, the agitated sand particles begin to move, separate and quickly wash away right from under your feet! This activity is a great example of how to use a model to study something that most of us will never see in person. While the cornstarch and water mixture is not real quicksand, its behavior is strikingly similar. The use of these kinds of models are an important part of a scientist’s research into the areas of the unknown.